Superintendent Casey Announces Retirement

Editor's note: This article was updated at 8:20 p.m.

Melrose School Superintendent Joe Casey will retire at the end of the current school year, he announced at Tuesday night's School Committee meeting.

Casey is currently in the last year of a three-year contract extension. He was originally hired by Melrose in the spring of 2006, coming from Stoneham Public Schools, where he served as the assistant superintendent.

The announcement means that instead of negotiating a new contract with Casey this year—or making a decision to not renew his contract—the School Committee will begin a search for a new Melrose Public Schools leader immediately.

The superintendent told the committee that his retirement is something "I've thought about long and hard, and didn't realize it would come this quickly." He noted that "as many of you know," he has been eligible to retire for a few years and decided to notify the committee early enough so as to give Melrose enough time to find the district's next superintendent, and plan for a smooth transition.

"I am grateful—truly," Casey said. "There is much left to do this year and working together, we will continue to enhance the educational opportunity for our students ... I pledge to work with you to make this year a wonderful year and work with you on any transitional issues. All of you working with me, it’s been a wonderful experience, an experience I’m going to savor."

"The students—you are just amazing," he added. "I’m looking forward to moving forward with you—perhaps graduating with you."

Mayor Rob Dolan, who sits on the School Committee, said that Casey "left a mark on this district that in my tenure has not been matched by any other educational leader I've worked with.

"You left the district a finer place than you found it," Dolan said.